That’s no surprise considering the 2014 season doesn’t begin for another seven months. But it wouldn’t be a huge surprise if Newman doesn’t have a competitive ride when next February comes around.

As happens in many pro sports, Newman might be the quintessential solid-performing veteran who gets squeezed out in favor of younger (and often cheaper) talent. In a sport where sponsorship means as much, if not more, than performance, Newman would be considered a driver with moderate success in recent years.

Most teams would like having Newman as its driver but he doesn’t move the needle far enough in performance or marketing, which puts him in danger of being shuffled out of the competitive Cup rides.

He already has been shuffled out of Stewart-Haas Racing, which signed Kevin Harvick last year for the 2014 season and wasn’t willing to expand to four teams. It isn’t getting rid of Tony Stewart, who co-owns the team. And it isn’t getting rid of Danica Patrick, who can attract full sponsorship.

SHR committed to Harvick without having sponsorship at the time (it has since signed Budweiser for 20 races). That might seem odd but that’s the way co-owner Gene Haas rolls. He funded this team from the get-go and then gave Stewart half ownership in order to be able to generate sponsorship and have Stewart’s group operate the organization. Even with that, Haas has slapped his own company’s logo on Newman’s car for several races.

If Haas is going to put his own company on the car, he’d rather have Harvick than Newman as the driver.

Harvick is a proven championship contender. In the nearly 10 years since his eight-win 2003 season, Newman has won seven races with 58 top-five finishes. Harvick has 17 wins and 74 top-five finishes. Harvick also has five top-five finishes in the final standings and seven Chase appearances. Newman has four Chase appearances and never has finished higher than sixth in the standings.

It would be difficult to say that Penske Racing and SHR, whom Newman has driven for, were that far behind or ahead of Richard Childress Racing (Harvick’s employer) over those years. Clearly Harvick has outperformed Newman.

So what happens to Newman?

This is a classic case of sometimes the known isn’t as sexy as the unknown. With Newman, it appears that given pretty decent equipment, he is a Chase contender but not a championship contender. He will deliver a win, maybe two — he won two races in 2004 but has not won more than one race per season since then.

Newman, while likeable, isn’t going to wow sponsors with his personality. He can be funny and engaging, but in more of a dry way. What you see is what you get. He hasn’t had a fully funded team since Alltel had to leave the sport, unless you count Haas footing the bill for some of his races.

A team and sponsor hiring Newman would have an aggressive driver who doesn’t wreck a bunch. They’d have a driver who isn’t going to embarrass them but one who isn’t going to be the first one Good Morning America calls to have on its show.

He’s safe. But is he worth forcing another driver out of his contract? Is he worth replacing another driver who is 15th-25th in points and who still might have more potential, especially one whom a sponsor and team already has a positive relationship with?

Newman’s future could be tied to whether he can keep his current sponsors in his pocket. If he can bring Quicken Loans and Outback Steakhouse money to a team, he all of a sudden is a lot more attractive, especially to a team like Michael Waltrip Racing if Aaron’s unexpectedly decides not to renew its sponsorship with Brian Vickers as the driver.

If Newman has some money but not enough for a full season, his best bet might be Furniture Row Racing, which wouldn’t mind having some sponsorship for its primary car or to expand to a two-car team. That would at least create buzz if Kurt Busch stays. (Busch and Newman, two drivers who haven’t exactly seen eye-to-eye of late, working together would be a fun storyline.)

Penske Racing, which already has a relationship with Quicken, also could be a destination but there is a “been there, done that” feeling about Newman returning to Penske.

Richard Childress Racing has an opening with Harvick leaving, but all indications are that RCR will elevate Austin Dillon from the Nationwide Series. Unless Newman has significant funding, RCR won’t start a fourth team and Jeff Burton has a deal that goes through at least next season. Both Burton and Newman have two top-five finishes this year, and Burton is two spots ahead of Newman in the standings, so a buyout appears unlikely.

Earnhardt Ganassi Racing might be a short-term solution. Juan Pablo Montoya doesn’t know whether he’ll return to the team next year. But with young star Kyle Larson looking like he could be ready by 2015, would EGR go with Newman on a short-term deal or just re-sign Montoya, if he’s willing, to a one-year deal?

Jamie McMurray, who is believed to be in an option year with EGR, is 15th in the standings with five wins since 2007 — one more than Newman. McMurray’s team seems to have gotten better and it would be surprising if Ganassi makes a wholesale change with his team on the upswing.

If Richard Petty Motorsports wanted Newman, it likely would have made a stronger push for him last year.

The JTG Daugherty Racing ride is open, and Newman’s personality is somewhat similar to Bobby Labonte’s. Newman could be a fit there but that would mean going to a rebuilding team, one with several sponsor appearances (the team has eight different sponsors). That doesn’t sound like much fun.

Or maybe his best destination will be whatever Phoenix Racing becomes. Harry Scott, co-owner of Turner Scott Motorsports, reportedly is the interested buyer, and Newman is driving for Turner Scott next week in the truck race at Eldora.

All those scenarios appear to be working solutions. But none scream out as a perfect fit, none look like a must-have on both sides.

As Newman said last week, he doesn’t know if he will have a full-time Cup ride in 2014. When looking at the possibilities, that’s a real concern, even for a guy who once was considered the next great driver in the Cup series.

It’s been 10 years, though, since that eight-win season. How far has Newman fallen?